Easy Hot Water Crust for Pies

How to make Hot Water Crust for Pies

It’s cold in the Southern Hemisphere, forgive us if this recipe is not suitable for your current balmy summer evenings, somewhere else. It maybe one to keep for colder times.

Although there is no end of pasta at my house (Skaters choice/ teenager) a pie is always more than welcome. The two of us have a project in mind this week, and that is for me to teach him how to make a good Chicken and vegetable Pie. This is apparently what he would like to be able to master culinarily speaking, and I am more than happy to encourage such a lesson.

We have made the Quick Chicken Pie into an art, using both puff pastry and filo pastry in the past. This hot water crust is a little more interesting. It’s firm and chewy and really survives rough treatment more importantly it lives through a microwave blitz as a left over food. (As all food should in a house containing a teenage boy) We haven’t made the chicken version yet, but this one was welcomed warmly.

Wrap your hot water crust around any left over foods you might have. Try leftovers such as bolognese or ragu, maybe you have some roast vegetables or chicken, a stew that just isn’t quite enough to go around. All these are great ways to use this crust. Be inspired and make a chunky pork sausage filling instead of using left overs because this crust is perfect for pork pies. What ever you do with it, it’s easy to handle. I wanted to test this recipe to make sure it was easy enough for Skater. I had this in one of my recipe books so I filled my pie with left over lazagne filling of Slow Braised Lamb and Porcini. The filling is best if it isn’t too runny.

Easy Hot Water Crust for Pies

Print Recipe

Use this crust for any pie. It is a great firm holding crust that is chewy and goes perfectly well with pureed vegetable or with white cheesy polenta, as we did. When you make a pie the filling must be cool or cold for the best results. Unlike other pastry crusts you can make this a fraction thicker.

Instructions

Put the butter and water into a small pot and put over a medium heat till the butter dissolves and the liquid reaches a rolling boil. Take off the heat.

Mix the flour and salt and pour into a mixer bowl.

Mix the two eggs together in a cup breaking up with a fork. Pour the flour and egg into the mixer and add the water and butter mixture turning onto low immediately.( remember the liquid is warm and might cook the egg if it sits too long)

Mix till the dough forms a ball. Pour out onto a bench and push the dough into a disc. ( if using a wooden spoon stir till the liquid is all but mixed in and then knead lightly. Over kneading will give a tougher crust, so work it gently till it is nice and smooth. If your dough is very sticky and stays in clumps on your hands then sprinkle with more flour till it just comes together. ( some eggs are bigger and some flour is just not as absorbent).

Cool the pastry a little and refrigerate till cold

Once the pastry is cool. Divide into x 2 . One disc should be about 3/4 of the dough and 1/4 left for a lid. Use a little flour to roll it out the dough and push into a greased pie plate. The pastry is plyable.

Fill the base with your cool filling, then brush the edges with egg and add the lid. Crimp around the top

Paint the top with egg yolk mixed with salt and pierce a couple of holes on the top.

Hi Tania! I’ve never made a hot water crust before, only the ice water versions. The recipe sounds great and so versatile in use — love that. My husband loves when I make savory pies like the gorgeous one in your photo. So I have to give this a try for him. Thanks for sharing:)Nancy/SpicieFoodie recently posted..How To Make French Crepes

This looks lovely Tania! My family loves pies in the cooler weather, but we don’t have them that often as there are absolutely no good gluten free pies out there that I have have discovered at all. What a great pastry, the crust looks amazing and golden. I hope Skater enjoyed them and adds them to his repitoire now 🙂 x

I’d like to come over for that pie lesson too. That’s a beautiful looking pie and yes, so good for the cold winter’s nights we’re now experiencing. Pies are so warming. Great that Skater is keen to learn to cook! xxHotly Spiced recently posted..The Mustang

Oh I’ve made this a couple of times and you’ve reminded me that I should add this to the rotation. Pies are very welcome at our house as well as sausage rolls 🙂Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella recently posted..Na Zdrowie, Glebe

Your pies are so professional! I like making puff pastry ramekin pies but they are never quite as need as your from scratch versions 😉Kari @ bite-sized thoughts recently posted..Blogging from the Great Barrier Reef

Tania next time we meet can we put aside a very nerdy conversation on pastry to be had please? I used to be terribly afraid of pastry but the last few years have come to be much more comfortable with it. I still don’t particularly understand it though. Whip the butter, chop the butter, now your telling me to melt the butter?? That has to be tried now clearly! Mmmm, and now I have to think of the dish to give it a crack on…cityhippyfarmgirl recently posted..Ginger Pear Cake and a mug of peacefulness

Tania I made the pastry and it’s great. Dead easy, also easy to handle, and holds the insides really well. Thank you 🙂 I have a new pastry up my sleeves!cityhippyfarmgirl recently posted..snapped in black

Lovely, clear, easy to follow recipe. Have done this a few times now and always works well with a nice crisp snap to the pastry. Freezes well too and doesn’t go soft when reheating leftovers in the micro. Thanks for all your hard work.

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About Me

Hi, I'm Tania and this is My Kitchen Stories. I share all kinds of recipes here. Most recipes are quick and easy, just perfect for families. Not all recipes here follow the healthy rules at all times though and that's because I love cake, I mean I really love cake. How could you not like cake? Read More

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